Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified two new techniques to detect the progression of Alzheimer’s disease earlier. By catching Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms are apparent, physicians can prescribe treatments to slow down the disease progression. In one study, researchers identified abnormal structural changes in the brains of seemingly normal elderly that indicated mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. In a second study, researchers detected changes in cells that may help predict the transition from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. The studies were presented this week at the 2008 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease. [continue reading…]
July 2008
Even infants, toddlers enjoy story time
Research shows that whether a child has been read aloud to on a regular basis is the single biggest predictor of a child’s success in learning to read, says University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Associate Professor of education Kathleen Martin, Ph.D.
Martin and UAB Assistant Professor Kay Emfinger, Ph.D., are authors of the new book “Sharing Books Together: Promoting Emergent Literacy Through Reading Aloud and Home-School Partnerships.” [continue reading…]
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The Economist devised a menu of culinary delights that are good for your brain, inspired by research at UCLA. Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery and physiological science, recently reported that certain foods can be damaging to your brain. Conversely, some diets really can make you smarter. Or at least hold off the ravages of aging. Salmon and spinach you kind of figure, but dinner with The Economist comes with dark chocolate clusters of walnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds, with blueberries and kiwi compote. How about a little California Cabernet Sauvignon with that? Read articleÂ
Source: The Economist via UCLA
Grumpiness and lethargy are well recognised behaviours in schoolkids with insufficient sleep, but a new study at Flinders University shows that lack of sleep impairs children’s ‘working memories’, negatively affecting their academic ability and ultimately dragging down their marks and grades.
Flinders psychologist and sleep researcher Dr Michael Gradisar led a study of adolescent schoolchildren that shows the performance of complex tasks that require information to be retained while other information is processed are affected by levels of sleep. [continue reading…]
